KRS 7.090: Legislative Research Commission -- Membership -- Vacancies -- Meetings --

Vote required to act -- Compensation -- Director -- Qualifications -- Personnel

-- Work-related incentive program -- Notice of issue involving General

Assembly member that ma y result in litigation against General Assembly or

LRC -- Contracts -- Display of In God We Trust.

(1) There is created a Legislative Research Commission as an independent agency in

the legislative branch of state government, which is exempt from contr ol by the

executive branch and from reorganization by the Governor. The Commission shall

have the duties, responsibilities, and powers assigned to it or authorized it by the

General Assembly, by statute or otherwise.

(2) The Legislative Research Commission shall be composed of the President of the

Senate, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of

Representatives, the Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives, the

majority and minority floor leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives,

the majority and minority whips of the Senate, the majority and minority whips of

the House, and the majority and minority caucus chairs of the Senate and House of

Representatives. Any vacancy in the Commission shall be filled by the remaining

members who are of the same chamber membership and political party affiliation as

the person having vacated Commission membership. If the vacancy is in the

membership of the House of Representatives, the successor shall be from the

House, and if the vacancy is from the Senate membership of the Commission, the

successor shall be from the Senate. A member elected to fill any vacancy shall hold

office for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor. The President of the Senate

and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall serve as co -chairs of the

Commission.

(3) The Legislative Research Commission shall meet during regular and special

sessions of the General Assembly, and during the intervals between sessions at such

times and places as the co-chairs may determine. Meetings of the Commission shall

be called by the co -chairs on their own initiative, or at the written request of any

three (3) members of the Commission. Any action of the Commission shall require

an affirmative roll call vote of a majority of the Commission's entire membership.

For attending meetings of the Commission or any of its subcommittees whose

membership consists only of members of the Commission between sessions of the

General Assembly, the members of the Commission s hall be paid their necessary

traveling expenses and in addition thereto an amount per day equal to the per diem

compensation they receive during any session. For attending meetings of interim

joint committees or other Commission subcommittees, members of the Commission

shall be paid an amount per day equal to that received by all other members of the

committees or subcommittees who are not designated as chairs or co-chairs.

(4) The Commission shall appoint a director, who shall be a person who has

demonstrated exemplary moral and ethical leadership while holding a significant

leadership position in business, government, military service, or a nonprofit

organization or charity, and who shall hold office at the pleasure of the

Commission. The salary of the dir ector shall be determined by the Commission.

The Commission shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the employment of

personnel necessary to effectuate the provisions of KRS 7.090 to 7.110.

(5) Any professional, clerical, or other employees required by any committee appointed

by the General Assembly shall be provided to the committee by the Legislative

Research Commission. The chair of the committee shall advise the director of the

Legislative Research Commission of his or her need for personnel. In the even t that

the personnel required by any committee cannot be met by the staff of the

Legislative Research Commission, the director shall employ personnel as necessary

to meet the needs of the committee, and shall fix the rate of compensation of the

employees.

(6) The director shall, at the discretion of the Commission and under its supervision

and control, provide for the:

(a) Allocation of the work and activities of all employees of the Commission; and

(b) Implementation of a work -related incentive program for employees of the

Commission using an employee suggestion system. Employees may be

recognized and rewarded for submitting suggestions that result in the

improvement of services or in the realization of financial savings by the

legislative branch. When an e mployee suggestion has been adopted and

resulted in financial savings to the legislative branch of government, the

employee who submitted the suggestion may be compensated through a cash

bonus in an amount that is the lesser of ten percent (10%) of the amount saved

or two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500).

(7) The director shall inform the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, and

the Minority Floor Leaders of each chamber of any personnel matter or allegation of

wrongdoing involving a mem ber of the General Assembly that has the potential of

leading to litigation in which the General Assembly or Legislative Research

Commission may be a party. The members so informed shall keep the matter

confidential. The director shall inform the members w ithin forty-eight (48) hours of

becoming aware of the allegation or situation.

(8) The Commission may, in effectuating the provisions of KRS 7.090 to 7.110,

contract with any public or private agency or educational institution or any

individual for researc h studies, the gathering of information, or the printing and

publication of its reports.

(9) The Legislative Research Commission shall constitute administrative offices for the

General Assembly and the director shall serve as administrative officer for the

assembly when it is not otherwise in session.

(10) The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall

have the authority to approve the in-state and out-of-state per diem and expenses for

members of their respective chambers.

(11) The Legislative Research Commission shall display the national motto "In God We

Trust" directly above and behind the chairman or chairwoman in each committee

room used by members of the General Assembly in the Capitol and Capitol Annex

and behind th e dais of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the

President of the Senate. The display shall be consistent with the historic and

patriotic display of the national motto located directly above and behind the dais of

the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.